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There is a strong interconnection between tourism and World Heritage Sites. This interconnection, on the one hand, can have a positive impact by presenting these sites to the public and helping generate conservation funds, but, on the other hand, if done unsustainably, can lead to their degradation. The adoption of digital technologies in tourism has made travel and visitations, even in remote areas, relatively easy. The adoption of new technologies at World Heritage Sites can also prove to be beneficial and help evolve a more sustainable tourism model at these venues. Furthermore, the new conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while having a detrimental impact on global tourism, provide an opportunity to remotely promote and generate revenue to preserve a regions’ tangible and intangible heritage. A technology-based intervention, if adopted correctly, can help to develop sustainable visitation capacity and management at World Heritage Sites while also enhancing and enticing visitation at lesser-known sites. Case studies from Greece and India are presented to demonstrate how to increase visitation to lesser-known sites and enhance the overall tourism experience at these sites. A variety of digital tools are presented, from simplistic to technologically advanced ones. These digital tools could be adopted and used globally for other World Heritage Sites to enhance visibility and sustainability.

Water is the most valuable and rare resource in the Eastern Mediterranean. The potential climate change impacts in the region require a new generation of water managers to learn and utilize new and innovative methods and techniques to achieve water sustainability. A key to provide adequate water supplies in the region is the sustainable management of semi-aquatic ecosystems such as wetlands, riparian areas and deltas. These ecosystems provide many services to humans, particularly in semi-arid and arid regions. Some of the services are directly connected to water supply and water quality. Through the WaSec project the awareness of the importance of these ecosystems for water security in the Eastern Mediterranean will be promoted. In addition, it will develop material that will train science-based water management graduates with the necessary tools on the proper management of these ecosystems to provide services for water security of the region. This will be accomplished by five main actions: a) Mining Stakeholders Views, b) a Neighborhood Network, c) University Courses, d) Establish University-Enterprise Collaborations and e) Dissemination Activities. Through these actions, water security in the Eastern Mediterranean will be promoted because the awareness by policymakers and the general public on the importance of semi-aquatic ecosystems will be enhanced and a new generation of water managers will be trained. This paper was presented at the MONITOX International Symposium “Deltas and Wetlands”, Tulcea, Romania, 15-17 September, 2019.

Riparian areas, especially in the Mediterranean, offer many ecosystem services for the welfare of society benefits from their sustainable management. This study presents different tools used to assess riparian areas of Greece and their results. Riparian areas with different land-uses/vegetation covers along streams or torrents were assessed. The assessment tools were visual protocols, bioindicators, geographic information systems (GIS), vegetation indices, and a model. These tools differ in scale, accuracy, and difficulty of implementation. The riparian areas had Low and Moderate quality in Greece because of agricultural activities and hydrologic alterations. Vegetation appeared more important for the integrity of riparian areas than stream flow (perennial or intermittent). In addition, territorial variables (distance from dam and sea) were more influential compared to climatic variables. Visual protocols and GIS were effective for preliminary assessments. GIS can be applied at a greater scale but was less accurate than the protocols. Bioindicators can provide more cost-effective monitoring than physicochemical water variables. Finally, vegetation indices and models can be used for larger spatial and temporal scales, but require specialized personnel. Overall, riparian areas of Greece seem to be degraded, and monitoring would contribute to the development of a database on riparian areas that should form the basis for sustainable management plans in Greece.

espanolLas areas riberenas y los deltas ofrecen muchos servicios ecosistemicos que han llevado a su intensa utilizacion y degradacion por parte de los humanos. Estos variados y unicos servicios han llevado a una priorizacion mundial de la conservacion y proteccion de estos ecosistemas. Esta cuestion fue reconocida por la UNESCO al establecer la Catedra Con-E-Ect en 2016 en la ciudad de Drama, Grecia, centrada en la conservacion, proteccion e implementacion del ecoturismo en areas riberenas y deltas. Las actividades especificas de la Catedra incluyen el desarrollo de codigos de conducta, herramientas de monitoreo y ejemplos exitosos de ecoturismo. Los codigos de conducta brindan pautas sobre que actividades se deben realizar en areas riberenas y deltas. Para mejorar la conservacion, se recomienda que las herramientas de monitoreo para areas riberenas y deltas adecuadas para las partes interesadas cumplan con las condiciones ambientales de la region mediterranea. EnglishThe many ecosystem services offered by riparian areas and deltas have led to their intense utilization and degradation by humans. The areas maintain high biodiversity thus providing habitat for animal and fish, reduce nonpoint sources pollutant, erosion and floods, recharge aquifers, increase agricultural production and provide ecotourism opportunities. These have led to a prioritization, worldwide, of the conservation and protection of these ecosystems. This importance was also recognized by UNESCO that establishment the Chair Con-E-Ect in 2016 in Drama Greece that focuses on the conservation, protection and implementation of ecotourism in riparian areas and deltas. Specific activities of the Chair include the development of behavior codes, monitoring tool and ecotourism examples. The behavior codes provide guidelines on what activities should be done in riparian areas and deltas and what activities should be avoided. To enhance conservation a monitoring tool for riparian areas and deltas suited for stakeholders has been modified to meet the environmental conditions of the Mediterranean region. Finally, successful examples of ecotourism have been identified as case studies that could be utilized by local business of rural areas. Overall, these actions along with future ones will lead to the sustainable management of the ecosystems in Mediterranean that have been over-utilized due to the human presence for thousands of years.

Human activities have intensively relied on and utilized riparian areas that have led to their substantial degradation. This is the reason why easy-to-use, reliable, inexpensive monitoring tools that describe the ecosystem integrity of riparian areas need to be developed. Bio-indicators are such tools, with many recommending the use of ground-dwelling insects. This study evaluates the use of diversity indices on ground-dwelling insects for three representative riparian habitat types of Greece. The studied areas were along torrents with intermittent flow and natural woody riparian vegetation within a flat or hilly landscape and along a stream with perennial flow with woody monoculture riparian plantation vegetation. Based on the number of different species identified and the diversity indices, the riparian habitats along the torrents presented the greatest diversity due to the natural vegetation with the more complex canopy structure. Overall the significant differences found, indicate the usefulness of insects and particularly Silpha obscura (Coleoptera: Silphidae) for evaluating riparian habitats in agricultural dominated landscapes of Greece and the Mediterranean.

Human and wildlife well-being are linked to riparian and deltaic ecosystems. Human impacts and climate changes affect their environmental sustainability. To secure their protection, various nationa...

Soil and water bioengineering works can improve water quality. Soil and water bioengineering works are nature-based methods. Stakeholder inputs can improve soil and water bioengineering works. Case studies in soil and water bioengineering from the Mediterranean. New protocols and a template for soil and water bioengineering work for the Mediterranean.

Sensitivity to desiccation of recalcitrant seeds of the Leucobalanus subgenus of Quercus poses limitations to successful storage and regeneration efforts. My three studies evaluated different aspects of these problems. The first study investigated the effect of parent tree and seed size on seedling performance and morphology over the first three months of growth for Quercus alba and Quercus macrocarpa. The second study evaluated the effect of nitrous oxide (N2O) on seed storage as measured by seed, seedling, and starch thermal variables. Seeds from both species were placed in containers with one of three treatments: air, 80/20% and 98/2% N2O/O2. The third study investigated the effect of parent tree, seed size, and desiccation time on seed, seedling, and starch thermal variables for Quercus macrocarpa. Two parent trees, and two seed sizes (19.5 and 20.5mm) for each parent were selected, and desiccated under ambient room conditions. We found an effect of both parent tree and seed size on the majority of seed-related and seedling performance variables, with larger seeds performing better. Storage time under N2O had an effect for most of the seed related variables. Seedling performance declined with storage time for Quercus alba, while it improved for Quercus macrocarpa. In both species, seedling performance following N2O treatments was poorer. Seed desiccation showed an effect of parent tree and seed size for almost all seed-related variables. Parent tree also affected seedling performance. Desiccation time negatively affected most of the studied variables. For the storage and the desiccation objectives, starch thermal analysis indicated alterations during the treatment periods. Our results suggest that regeneration success could be enhanced by proper parent tree and seed size selection, since those variables could provide more vigorous seedlings and delay the deleterious effects of desiccation. N2O is effective in

Soil loss and erosion is a major environmental problem in the Mediterranean. Soil and water bioengineering uses plants and/or parts of plants along with inert material to create solutions to fulfill soil conservation objectives combined with an ecological rehabilitation approach. The ECOMED project developed novel approaches and tools to specialize the soil and water bioengineering sector within the Mediterranean. The first activity was the Sector Needs Analysis were the responses to an online questionnaire of 110 stakeholders from the region were analyzed. The main conclusion was the need to specialize the soil and water bioengineering sector in the Mediterranean. In addition, 21 soil and water bioengineering case studies in the Mediterranean were reviewed. Many works of this type are implemented in the region, but have flaws because of the lack of training material, design routines, protocols, specific to the region. The second activity developed New Design Routines and Protocols. Specifically, three protocols, one template and one plant database were developed for the region. Finally, in the Training Material activity, six educational modules along with a handbook (that contained modules, protocols, template and case studies) were developed. Overall the ECOMED project generated new and novel material and tools that were lacking in the region to enhance the specialization process of the soil and water bioengineering sector. These should increase the adoption of soil and water bioengineering techniques with better trained and new professionals as well as improve the work performance of these interventions.

Recently, the interest in wood products and bioenergy applications of transgenic forest trees is increasing worldwide, though plantations have been established to this purposes only in China. Information on the anticipated attitudes of consumers towards products from genetically-modified forest trees would therefore be of a particular interest both for developers and policy makers. This study investigated the purchasing behavior of potential Greek consumers towards the products from transgenic forest trees. In 2011, a survey was conducted based on randomly selected interviews of 418 potential consumers from all over Greece. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was performed to identify the main factors affecting the potential purchasing behavior of consumers towards products from transgenic forest trees. Hierarchical and non- hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to PCA scores to identify homogeneous groups of consumers sharing a similar purchasing behavior. Discriminant analysis was used to cross-validate cluster membership of consumers based on PCA factors. Four groups of consumers showing similar potential purchasing behavior towards the products of transgenic forest trees were identified: (a) those interested in the quality of products; (b) those oriented towards lower prices; (c) those influenced by curiosity and labeling issues; and (d) consumers mainly interested in health safety issues and environmental impacts. Finally, a most frequent profile for each group of consumers was outlined according to their demographic characteristics and their opinions on the use of transgenic-tree derived products. Although it is unlikely that products from GM forest trees will be marketed in the next 10 to 15 years, information on the anticipated attitudes of consumers has to be taken into consideration by the developers and policy makers.

Soil erosion is a one of the most serious environmental problems worldwide. This is the result of unsustainable anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, deforestation and urbanization. In addition, the extreme events caused by climate change are expected to accelerate soil erosion. The Mediterranean region, due to the sparse vegetation, topography, frequent wildfires and being inhabited for thousands of years has higher soil erosion rates compared to the rest of Europe. These facts indicate that new tools need to be developed and utilized in order to be able to mitigate effectively and efficiently soil erosion in the Mediterranean. The goal of this study was to develop a new monitoring system of sensors that measures erosion accurately but also measures other important environmental variables that influence erosion. The erosion measurements were based on ultrasonic technology that allows accuracy of up to 1 mm. The system also measures precipitation, soil and air temperature and soil moisture. These measurements can be continuous something very important to understand soil erosion mechanisms. Two systems with sensors were installed in September 2015, in the Kallirahi torrent watershed of Thasos Island in Greece. The specific watershed had a wildfire in August of 2013, and the impact is still evident on the landscape. One of the system of sensors was installed in an area with tree cover and gradual slopes while the other area had no overstory and steep slopes. Evaluating the preliminary results show that the measured variables by the sensor provides very accurate data.

Storage of recalcitrant seeds remains an unsolved problem. The study of gaseous atmospheres could provide insights in understanding the metabolism of recalcitrant seeds and their potential in being used as means for storage. This study investigated the metabolism of the recalcitrant Quercus alba seeds when subjected under nitrous oxide (N2O) and air atmospheres. Seeds were placed in sealed atmospheric flasks of 98/2% N2O/O2. Three experiments were conducted to determine N2O uptake in relation to oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. For the first experiment, “non-renewed” closed atmospheric systems with 98/2% N2O/O2 and air were used. Two more experiments were also conducted for the 98/2% N2O/O2 atmosphere to determine how rate of gas renewal (two and seven days) affects the N2O, O2, and CO2 gases quantitatively. Cumulative results on non-renewed flasks with 98/2% N2O/O2 showed that as time progressed, N2O uptake increased with variation in the magnitude of N2O utilization throughout the 37 experim...

Decisions related to the use of genetically modified (GM) forest trees could be more rational if they would take into account socio-economic considerations in addition to environmental risk assessment. This chapter presents an overview of available socio-economic approaches and tools for assessment of GM forest crops and presents options for their implementation. In particular, it explores the suitability of Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), a well-known method in the field of economics, for aiding the decision-making process that regulates the experimental and/or commercial release of GM forest crops. A generic catalogue of potential positive and negative externalities that can reasonably be expected as a result of commercial application of GM forest trees and which are specifically connected to modified traits was compiled to form the basis for CBA. Cost and benefit variables were grouped according to two criteria (i) the sustainability type of variables, namely environmental, economic and social variables and (ii) the affected party. The latter is particularly useful as it is related to the distributional equity of costs and benefits of GM forest trees. Finally, results from a focus group study that was organized as part of COST Action FP0905 in order to identify the most important positive and negative externalities of GM forest plantations in connection to modified traits is also presented. CBA can make a significant contribution to a more rational decision-making process towards the potential release of GM forest trees, as it would add a measure of potential contributions to social welfare. However, further research is required to provide more information on the range of potential positive and negative externalities, their quantification, and predictions at different spatial and temporal scales.

Information on public awareness and acceptance issues regarding the use of Genetically Modified (GM) trees in forestry is lacking, although such information is available for GM organisms in agriculture. This is mainly due to the fact that in Europe there is no authorization for commercial planting of GM forest trees. To address this issue and within the frame of a European COST Action on the Biosafety of Transgenic Forest Trees (FP0905), a KAP (Knowledge Attitude Practice ) cross-country pilot survey was conducted among university students of different disciplines as sampling subjects. In total, 1920 completed questionnaires from 16 European and non-European countries were evaluated. The results provided novel cross-country insights into the level of public knowledge, particularly of young people and their perceptions on safety issues related to the use of GM forest trees , as well as on their attitude towards the acceptance of GM forest trees cultivation. The majority of the respondents, which was more than 60 % in all countries, approved the use of GM forest trees for commercial plantations , excluding natural forests. The majority of respondents also appeared willing to buy products from such plantations, such as wood products, pulp and paper. Over 80 % of the respondents from all countries were in favour of using labelling to identify products of GM origin, while more than 80 % of those would prefer that this labelling be legally mandatory. The top three benefits that were rated as very important in all countries involved the potential lower demand of the GM forest plantations for pesticides, the potential of GM forest trees for restoration of contaminated soils and the potential higher GM forest tree productivity. The top three GM forest tree risks that were perceived as serious hazards in all countries included the potential loss of biodiversity due to gene flow between transgenic and wild trees, the adverse effects of biotrophic processes on host ecosystems and the cultural adaptation to changing biodiversity conditions due to transgene escape. Overall, lack of knowledge regarding the potential benefits and potential risks of the cultivation of GM forest trees was observed in almost all surveyed countries.

In the European Union (EU) genetically modified (GM) trees—like all genetically modified organisms (GMO)—are regulated based on the process and product, not on the phenotype alone. The regulatory system includes a risk assessment which is science-based and concentrates on the assessment of risks rather than benefits. Lately consideration of socio-economic (SE) assessments are planned to get a more prominent role in EU decision-making. Several institutions of the EU and the Member States (MSs) are attempting to clarify the role of SE considerations in decision-making on GM plant cultivation. The SE assessment will typically be a multidisciplinary and iterative process to address all relevant costs and benefits with as little bias as possible. There is a high likelihood that there will be divergent views the methods for SE and evaluating costs versus benefits. This could lead to further delays on decisions on GM plant authorisations.

Storage of recalcitrant seeds was, and still is, problematic. This study investigated the effects of nitrous oxide (N2O) on storage of recalcitrant oak seeds. Containers of Quercus alba and Quercus macrocarpa seeds were placed under three atmospheric treatments: air, 80/20% and 98/2% of N2O/oxygen. Every 2 weeks (total of 12 weeks), a sample of five seeds was used to evaluate seed respiration in each atmosphere. Another set of five seeds was used to determine moisture content, seed, pericarp and embryo fresh weight, and embryo dry weight. Germination percentage was evaluated based on a total of 50 seeds for each treatment and each sampling time. Analysis revealed a treatment effect on seed fresh weight and moisture content, with increased values for N2O treatments. Quercus alba had greater respiration than Q. macrocarpa. The percentage of germination for Q. alba showed a consistent pattern, while for Q. macrocarpa it gradually increased. Storage time had an effect on the mean values for most of t...

The Mediterranean ecoregion is prone to soil loss and degradation; serious problems to the human well-being. The ECOMED project promotes eco-friendly methods to mitigate such problems by generating material and tools on soil bioengineering specific for the ecoregion. Specifically, the know-how transfer within the sector is being reinforced, existing soil bioengineering works are being evaluated, new interactional schemes are being generated and new designs and protocols for the ecoregion are being developed. The current curricula and work practices of the ecoregion have been reviewed, stakeholders have participated in an online questionnaire on soil bioengineering and three protocols and a template for the ecoregion have been developed. These activities provide the information to develop the educational syllabus for the Mediterranean to train the next generation of soil bioengineering specialists. Overall all the material and tools developed will enhance the knowledge and specialisation level and promote soil bioengineering in the Mediterranean.

Riparian areas are unique and of high importance ecosystems because they are adjacent to surface freshwater bodies suchas streams, rivers and lakes. They are the semi-aquatic transitional zones (ecotones) between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.Water, soil and vegetation are the three main characteristics that differentiate them compared to other ecosystems.Furthermore, they are present in all biomes (from deserts to tropical forests) and are found in a great range of hydrologic andgeomorphologic conditions that results in a great variety of riparian habitat types. In Greece, there are five major riparianforest habitat types that also occur in most of the semi-arid Mediterranean regions. Frequent disturbance is another uniquecharacteristic that differentiates riparian areas. The major disturbances that shape riparian areas in Greece are unpredictedflood and drought events, as well as fires but to a lesser degree. Wetlands are another important semi-aquatic ecosystemsthat many consider as synonymous to riparian areas. In reality, these two ecosystems overlap but they are also different sincewetlands are considered as “wetter” and less disturbance driven than riparian areas.

Fires is one of the main types of disturbances that shape ecosystems in the Mediterranean region. However nowadays, climate alterations towards higher temperatures result on increased levels of fire intensity, frequency and spread as well as difficulties for natural regeneration to occur. Thasos Island is one of the Greek islands that has experienced those problems. Since 1984, a series of wildfires led to the reduction of forest cover from 61.6% to almost 20%. The negative impacts were devastating in many different aspects for the island. The absence of plant cover, post-wildfire precipitation and steep slopes were the major factors that induced severe soil erosion and intense floods. That also resulted to serious economic problems to the local communities and the inability of the burnt areas to regenerate naturally. Despite the substantial amount of published work regarding Thasos wildfires, there is no information related to post-wildfire effects on factors such as soil erosion. More research related to post-fire effects should help to an overall assessment of the negative impacts of wildfires on land degradation through processes such as soil erosion and flooding., {"references":["Papanastasis, V. 1978. Potential of certain range species for\nimprovement of burned brushland in Greece. Proc.1st International\nRangeland Congress, pp.715-717.","Arianoutsou, M., Papanastasis, V. P. (2004) Ecology, Conservation and\nManagement of Mediterranean Climate Ecosystems. Millpress,\nRotterdam.","Espirito-Santo, M. D., Rego, F., Costa, J. C. (1993) Vegetation\ndynamics in the Serra dos Canderros (Central Portugal). In: Fire in\nMediterranean Ecosystems (edited by L. Trabaud and R. Prodon). Ecosystem Research Report no 5, Commission of the European\nCommunities. Brussels - Luxembourg, pp: 29-46.","Ispikoudis, I., Kakouros, P., Arianatsou, M., Papanastasis, V.P. (1999)\nEffects of pastoral activities on woody plant distribution and landscape\ndiversity in Western Crete. In: V.P. Papanastasis, J. Frame and A.S.\nNastis (Eds), Grasslands and Woody Plants in Europe, pp 287-293,\nEGF, Grassland Science in Europe, Thessaloniki and Reading, 437p.","Naveh, Z. (1991) The role of fire in Mediterranean vegetation. Botanica\nChronika 10: 385-405.","Mendoza, I., Zamora, R., Castro, J. (2009) A seedling experiment for\ntesting tree community recruitment under variable environments:\nImplications for forest regeneration and conservation in Mediterranean\nhabitats. Biological Conservation, 142, pp. 1401-1499.","Sharma, S., Rikhari, H. C. (1997) Forest fire in the central Himalaya:\nclimate and recovery of trees. Int J Biometeorol. 40: 63-70.","Lekakis, J. (1993) Social and ecological correlates of rural fires in\nGreece. Journal of Environmental Management 43: 41-47.","Spanos, I., Daskalakou, E., Thanos, K. (2000) Postfire regeneration in\nPinus brutia forest ecosystems of Thassos island. Acta Oecologica, 21,\npp. 13-20.\n[10] Bestmann, M., Kunze, K., Matthews, A. (2000) Evolution of a calcite\nmarble shear zone complex on Thassos Island, Greece: Microstructural\nand textural fabrics and their kinematic significance. Journal of\nStructural Geology, 22, pp. 1789–1807.\n[11] Campbell, R. E., Baker, M. B., Fiolliott, P. F., Larson, F.R., Avery, C.\nC. (1977) Wildfire Effects on a Ponderosa Pine Ecosystem: An Arizona\nCase Study. United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service,\nRocky Mountain Forest and Range Experimental Station, Fort Collins,\nColorado. Research Paper RM-191, 21 pp.\n[12] Trabaud, L. (2002) Post-fire vegetation recovery and dynamics in the\nMediterranean area. In: Pardini, G., Pinto, J. (Eds.), Fire, Landscape and\nBiodiversity: an Appraisal of the Effects and Effectiveness. UdG,\nGirona, Diversitas, pp. 39–55.\n[13] DeBano, L. F., Neary, D. G., Folliott, P. F. (2005) Soil physical\nproperties. In: Neary, D. G., Ryan, K. C., DeBano, L. F. (Eds.),\nWildland Fire in Ecosystems. Effects of Fire on Soil and Water. General\nTechnical Report RMRS-GTR-42, Volume 4. USDA Forest Service,\nRocky Mountain Research Station, pp. 29–52.\n[14] Robichaud, P. R. (2000) Fire effects on infiltration rates after prescribed\nfire in Northern Rocky Mountain forests, USA. Journal of Hydrology,\n231–232, pp. 220–229.\n[15] Woods, S. W., Balfour, V. N. (2008) The effect of ash on runoff and\nerosion after a severe forest wildfire, Montana, USA. International\nJournal of Wildland Fire, 17, pp. 535–548.\n[16] Cerdà, A., Robichaud, P. R. (2009) Fire Effects on Soils and Restoration\nStrategies. Science Publishers, Enfield, NH. 569 pp.\n[17] Shakesby, R. A., Doerr, S. H. (2006) Wildfire as a hydrological and\ngeomorphological agent. Earth Science Reviews, 74, pp. 269–307.\n[18] Ursino, N., Rulli, M. C. (2010) Combined effect of fire and water\nscarcity on vegetation patterns in arid lands. Ecological Modelling, 221,\npp. 2353–2362.\n[19] Loaiciga, H. A., D. Pedreros and D. Roberts. 2001. Wildfire–streamflow\ninteractions in a chaparral watershed. Advances in Environmental\nResearch, 5, pp. 295–305.\n[20] Rubio, J. L., Forteza, J., Andreu, V., Cerni, R. (1997) Soil profile\ncharacteristics influencing runoff and soil erosion after forest fire: a case\nstudy (Valencia, Spain). Soil Technology 11: 67–78.\n[21] Martin, D. A., Moody, J. A. (2001) Comparison of soil infiltration rates\nin burned and unburned mountainous watersheds. Hydrological\nProcesses, 15, pp. 2893–2903.\n[22] Rodríguez Avellanas, J. M., Vicén Velilla, F. J., Badía Villas, D.,\nAscaso Martorell, J. (2000) Efecto del incendio forestal sobre la\nsucesión vegetal y erosión en los montes de Castejón de Valdejasa\n(Zaragoza). Geórgica, 7, pp. 55–68.\n[23] Vega, J. A., Díaz-Fierros, F. (1987) Wildfire effects on soil erosion.\nEcologia Mediterranea, 13 (4), pp. 119–125.\n[24] Connaughton, C. A. (1935) Forest fire and accelerated erosion. Journal\nof Forestry, 33, pp. 751–752."]}

The advancements in technology allow the development of a new system that can continuously measure surface soil erosion. Continuous soil erosion measurements are required in order to comprehend the erosional processes and propose effective and efficient conservation measures to mitigate surface erosion. Mitigating soil erosion, especially in Mediterranean countries such as Greece, is essential in order to maintain environmental and agricultural sustainability. In this paper, we present the Automated Soil Erosion Monitoring System (ASEMS) that measures surface soil erosion along with other factors that impact erosional process. Specifically, this system measures ground level changes (surface soil erosion), rainfall, air temperature, soil temperature, and soil moisture. Another important innovation is that the data will be collected by remote communication. In addition, stakeholder's awareness is a key factor to help reduce any environmental problem. The different dissemination activities that were utilized are described. The overall outcomes were the development of a new innovative system that can measure erosion very accurately. These data from the system help study the process of erosion and find the best possible methods to reduce erosion. The dissemination activities enhance the stakeholders and public's awareness on surface soil erosion problems and will lead to the adoption of more effective soil erosion conservation practices in Greece., {"references":["D. Emmanouloudis, J. L. García Rodríguez, G. N. Zaimes, M. C.\nGiménez Suárez, E. Filippidis. \"Euro-Mediterranean torrents: Case\nstudies on tools that can improve their management\", In: K.E. Richards\n(ed.) Mountain Ecosystems: Dynamics, Management and Conservation\nNew York, USA: Nova Science Publishers, 2011.","Giupponi C., and M. Shechter (eds.), \"Climate Change in the\nMediterranean: Socio-Economic Perspectives of Impacts, Vulnerability\nand Adaptation\" Glos, UK: Edward Elgar Publications, 2003.","Hagyó, T. Tóth, E. Bloem, S.E.A.T.M. Van Der Zee, E. Horváth, \"Soilplant\ninterrelations: The significance of soil degradation and the risk\nassessment methodology for salinization\", Cereal Research\nCommunications., vol. 36, pp.1579-1592, 2008.","P. Koutalakis, A. Vlachopoulou, G.N. Zaimes, K. Ioannou and V.\nIakovoglou, \"Assessing soil erosion risk using SWAT and GIS for\nThassos Island, Greece\", In: Proceedings of the 10th International\nConference of the Hellenic Geographical Society, Thessaloniki, Greece,\n2014.","P. Koutalakis, G. N. Zaimes, V. Iakovoglou, K. Ioannou, \"Reviewing\nSoil Erosion in Greece\", World Academy of Science, Engineering and\nTechnology International Journal of Environmental, Chemical,\nEcological, Geological and Geophysical Engineering 9(8):816-821,\n2015.","D. M. Lawler, \"The measurement of river bank erosion and lateral\nchannel change: A review\", Earth Surfaces and Processes and\nLandforms vol. 18, pp. 777-821, 1993.","D. M. Lawler, \" Defining the moment of erosion: the principle of\nthermal consonance timing\", Earth Surface Processes and Landforms\nvol. 30, pp. 1597-1615, 2005.","Z. Mallios, S. Arapaki, A. Frantzis, K.L. Katsifarakis, \"Management of\nwater resources of Thassos island in the frame of sustainable\ndevelopment\", Proceeding of common conferences 11th of EYE kai 7th\nof EEDYP pp 27-34 Tomos 1 (In Greek with English abstract), 2009.","J. Mitsios, C. Pashalidis, and K. Panagias, \"Soil erosion - Mitigation\ntechniques to soil erosion\", Athens, Greece: Zymel Editions, 1995.\n[10] D. R. Montgomery, \"Soil erosion and agriculture sustainability\",\nProceeding of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of\nAmerica. Vol 104(33), pp 13268-13272, 2007.\n[11] M. A. Nearing, F.F Pruski, M.R. O'Neal, \"Expected climate change\nimpacts on soil erosion rates: A review\", Journal of Soil and Water\nConservation Vol. 59(1), pp. 43-50, 2004.\n[12] F. Pearce, \"Deserts on our doorstep\", New Scientist, Vol. 151 (2037),\npp. 12-13, 1996.\n[13] D. Pimentel, D. L. Sparks, \"Soil as an endangered ecosystem\",\nBioScience Vol. 50(11), pp. 947, 2000.\n[14] T. J. Robertson, D. A. Hutchins, D. R. Billson, J. H. Rakels, D. W.\nSchindel \"Surface metrology using reflected ultrasonic signals in air\",\nUltrasonics Vol. 39(7), pp. 479-486, 2002.\n[15] R. A. Shakesby, \"Post-wildfire soil erosion in the Mediterranean:\nReview and future research directions\", Earth-Science Reviews Vol.\n105, pp. 71-100, 2011.\n[16] A. Tal, \"Desertification\" In: Turning Points of Environmental History,\npp. 146-161, Pittsburg, USA: Univeristy of Pittsburg Press, 2010.\n[17] D. Yang, S. Kanae, T. Oki, T. Koike, and K. Musiake.\" Global potential\nsoil erosion with reference to land use and climate changes\",\nHydrological Processes Vol. 17, pp. 2913–2928, 2003.\n[18] Zaimes, G. N., D. Emmanouloudis, and V. Iakovoglou, \"Estimating soil\nerosion in Natura 2000 areas located on three semi-arid Mediterranean\nislands\", Journal of Environmental Biology Vol. 33, pp. 277-282, 2012."]}

Mitigating soil erosion, especially in Mediterranean countries such as Greece, is essential in order to maintain environmental and agricultural sustainability. In this paper, scientific publications related to soil erosion studies in Greece were reviewed and categorized. To accomplish this, the online search engine of Scopus was used. The key words were "soil", "erosion" and "Greece." An analysis of the published articles was conducted at three levels: i) type of publication, ii) chronologic and iii) thematic. A hundred and ten publications published in scientific journals were reviewed. The results showed that the awareness regarding the soil erosion in Greece has increased only in the last decades. The publications covered a wide range of thematic categories such as the type of studied areas, the physical phenomena that trigger and influence the soil erosion, the negative anthropogenic impacts on them, the assessment tools that were used in order to examine the threat and the proper management. The analysis of these articles was significant and necessary in order to find the scientific gaps of soil erosion studies in Greece and help enhance the sustainability of soil management in the future., {"references":["Acheson, P.E. (1997) Does the 'economic explanation' work?\nSettlement, agriculture and erosion in the territory of Halieis in the Late\nClassical-Early Hellenistic period. Journal of Mediterranean\nArchaeology, 10 (2), pp. 165-190.","Allen, H.D., Randall, R.E., Amable, G.S., Devereux, B.J. (2006) The\nimpact of changing olive cultivation practices on the ground flora of\nolive groves in the Messara and Psiloritis regions, Crete, Greece. Land\nDegradation and Development, 17 (3), pp. 249-273.","Anthopoulou, B., Panagopoulos, A., Karyotis, Th. (2006) The impact of\nland degradation on landscape in Northern Greece. Landslides, 3 (4), pp.\n289-294.","Arhonditsis, G., Giourga, C., Loumou, A., Koulouri, M. (2002)\nQuantitative assessment of agricultural runoff and soil erosion using\nmathematical modeling: Applications in the Mediterranean region.\nEnvironmental Management, 30 (3), pp. 434-453.","Arhonditsis, G., Giourga, C., Loumou, A. (2000) Ecological patterns and\ncomparative nutrient dynamics of natural and agricultural\nMediterranean-type ecosystems. Environmental Management, 26 (5),\npp. 527-537.","Arianoutsou-Faraggitaki, M. (1985) Desertification by overgrazing in\nGreece: the case of Lesvos island. Journal of Arid Environments, 9 (3),\npp. 237-242.","Astaras, T., Lambrinos, N. (1988) Land classification of part of Thrace\n(East Rhodope) by visual interpretation of MSS images of first and\nsecond generation landsat images. GeoJournal, 17 (3), pp. 357-363","Astaras, T. (1984) Drainage basins as process-response systems: an\nexample from central Macedonia, north Greece. Earth Surface Processes\n& Landforms, 9 (4), pp. 333-341.","Athanasopoulou, E., Tombrou, M., Russell, A.G., Karanasiou, Α.,\nEleftheriadis, K., Dandou, A. (2010) Implementation of road and soil\ndust emission parameterizations in the aerosol model CAMx:\nApplications over the greater Athens urban area affected by natural sources. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 115 (17),\nD17301.\n[10] Aufgebauer, A., Panagiotopoulos, K., Wagner, B., Schaebitz, F.,\nViehberg, F.A., Vogel, H., Zanchetta, G., Sulpizio, R., Leng, M.J.,\nDamaschke, M. (2012) Climate and environmental change in the\nBalkans over the last 17 ka recorded in sediments from Lake Prespa\n(Albania / FYR of Macedonia / Greece). Quaternary International, 274,\npp. 122-135.\n[11] Bakker, M.M., Govers, G., Kosmas, C., Vanacker, V., van Oost, K.,\nRounsevell, M. (2005) Soil erosion as a driver of land-use change.\nAgriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 105 (3), pp. 467-481.\n[12] Barbayiannis, N., Panayotopoulos, K., Psaltopoulos, D., Skuras, D.\n(2011) The influence of policy on soil conservation: A case study from\nGreece. Land Degradation and Development, 22 (1), pp. 47-57.\n[13] Barbero, M., Quezel, P. (1983) La vegetation de la Grece et l'action de\nl'homme. (The vegetation of Greece and human action) Mediterranee, 48\n(2), pp. 65-71.\n[14] Bevan, A., Conolly, J. (2011) Terraced fields and Mediterranean\nlandscape structure: An analytical case study from Antikythera, Greece.\nEcological Modelling, 222 (7), pp. 1303-1314 .\n[15] Blake, WH, Theocharopoulos, SP, Skoulikidis, N., Clark, P., Tountas,\nP., Hartley, R., Amaxidis, Y. (2010) Wildfire impacts on hillslope\nsediment and phosphorus yields. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 10 (4),\npp. 671-682.\n[16] Bohling, N., Gerold, G. (1995) Post-fire regeneration patterns and\nvariations of soil properties in Mediterranean phrygana-areas of Naxos /\nGreece. Geookodynamik, 16 (3-4), pp. 333-345.\n[17] Boix, C., Calvo, A., Imeson, AC, Schoorl, J.M., Soto, S., Tiemessen,\nI.R. (1995) Properties and erosional response of soils in a degraded\necosystem in Crete (Greece). Environmental Monitoring & Assessment,\n37 (1-3), pp. 79-92.\n[18] Cerdà, A. (1998) Relationships between climate and soil hydrological\nand erosional characteristics along climatic gradients in Mediterranean\nlimestone areas. Geomorphology, 25 (1-2), pp. 123-134.\n[19] Cerdan, O., Desprats, J.-F., Fouché, J., Le Bissonnais, Y., Cheviron, B.,\nSimonneaux, V., Raclot, D., Mouillot, F. (2011) Impact of global\nchanges on soil vulnerability in the Mediterranean Basin. ASABE -\nInternational Symposium on Erosion and Landscape Evolution, pp. 495-\n503.\n[20] Christodoulou, M., Nakos, G. (1990) An approach to comprehensive\nland use planning. Journal of Environmental Management, 31 (1), pp.\n39-46.\n[21] Christopoulou, O., Polyzos, S., Minetos, D. (2007) Peri-urban and urban\nforests in Greece: Obstacle or advantage to urban development?\nManagement of Environmental Quality, 18 (4), pp. 382-395.\n[22] Dalaris, M., Psilovikos, A., Sapountzis, M., Mourtzis, P., Mourtzios, P.\n(2013) Water erosion assessment in skiathos island using the gavrilovic\nmethod. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 22 (10), pp. 2943-2952.\n[23] Davidson, D.A., Wilson, C.A., Lemos, I.S., Theocharopoulos, S.P.\n(2010) Tell formation processes as indicated from geoarchaeological and\ngeochemical investigations at Xeropolis, Euboea, Greece. Journal of\nArchaeological Science, 37 (7), pp. 1564-1571.\n[24] Davidson A.D. (1991) Soil erosion in the Mediterranean Basin.\nGeography, 76 (1), pp 71-73.\n[25] Dekker, L.W., Oostindie, K., Ritsema, CJ (2005) Exponential increase\nof publications related to soil water repellency. Australian Journal of\nSoil Research, 43 (3), pp. 403-441.\n[26] Dimoyiannis, D., Valmis, S., Danalatos, N.G. (2006) Interrill erosion on\ncultivated Greek soils: Modelling sediment delivery. Earth Surface\nProcesses and Landforms, 31 (8), pp. 940-949.\n[27] Emmanouloudis, D.A., Christou, O.P., Filippidis, E.I. (2003)\nQuantitative estimation of degradation in the Aliakmon River basin\nusing GIS. IAHS-AISH Publication, (279), pp. 234-240.\n[28] Efstratiou, N., Biagi, P., Elefanti, P., Karkanas, P., Ntinou, M. (2006)\nPrehistoric exploitation of Grevena highland zones: Hunters and herders\nalong the Pindus chain of western Macedonia (Greece). World\nArchaeology, 38 (3), pp. 415-435.\n[29] European Commission (EC) 2002 Towards a strategy for soil protection.\npp. 179.\n[30] European Commission (EC) 2006 Thematic strategy for soil protection.\npp. 231.\n[31] Fleskens, L (2008) A typology of sloping and mountainous olive\nplantation systems to address natural resources management. Annals of\nApplied Biology, 153 (3), pp. 283-297.\n[32] Floras, S.A., Sgouras, I.D. (1999) Use of geoinformation techniques in\nidentifying and mapping areas of erosion in a hilly landscape of central\nGreece. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and\nGeoinformation, 1 (1), pp. 68-77.\n[33] Flum, D., Salzmann, H., Züger, M. (2005) Replacement of failed\nshotcrete facing by a flexible slope stabilisation system. Polish\nGeological Institute Special Papers, 20, pp. 40-45.\n[34] Foteinis, S., Mpizoura, K., Panagopoulos, G., Chatzisymeon, E.,\nKallithrakas-Kontos, N., Manutsoglu, E. (2014) A novel use of the\ncaesium-137 technique to estimate human interference and historical\nwater level in a Mediterranean Temporary Pond. Journal of\nEnvironmental Radioactivity, 127, pp. 75-81.\n[35] French, C.A.I., Whitelaw, T.M. (1999) Soil Erosion, Agricultural\nTerracing and Site Formation Processes at Markiani, Amorgos, Greece:\nThe Micromorphological Perspective. Geoarchaeology - An\nInternational Journal, 14 (2), pp. 151-189.\n[36] Fuchs, M (2007) An assessment of human versus climatic impacts on\nHolocene soil erosion in NE Peloponnese, Greece. Quaternary Research,\n67 (3), pp. 349-356.\n[37] Fuchs, M. (2006) Mensch und Umwelt in der Antike Südgriechenlands:\nErgebnisse geoarchäologischer Forschung im Becken von Phlious,\nNordost-Peloponnes (Man and environment in antique Greece:\nGeoarchaeological investigations in the basin of Phlious, Northeast-\nPeloponnese). Geographische Rundschau, 58 (4), pp. 4-11.\n[38] Fuchs, M., Wagner, G.A. (2005) The chronostratigraphy and\ngeoarchaeological significance of an alluvial geoarchive: Comparative\nOSl and AMS 14C dating from Greece. Archaeometry, 47 (4), pp. 849-\n860.\n[39] Fuchs, M., Lang, A., Wagner, G.A. (2004) The history of Holocene soil\nerosion in the Phlious Basin, NE Peloponnese, Greece, based on optical\ndating. Holocene, 14 (3), pp. 334-345.\n[40] Fuchs, M., Wagner, G.A. (2003) Recognition of insufficient bleaching\nby small aliquots of quartz for reconstructing soil erosion in Greece.\nQuaternary Science Reviews, 22 (10-13), pp. 1161-1167.\n[41] Fytrolakis, N., Peterek, A., Schröder, B. (2005) Initial geoarchaeologic\ninvestigations on the Holocene coastal configuration near Phaistos /\nAgia Triada (Messara plain central Crete, Greece). Zeitschrift fur\nGeomorphologie, Supplementband, 137, pp. 111-123.\n[42] Gatsis I., Pavlopoulos A (2001) Geomorphological observations and\nrelated natural hazards using merged remotely sensed data: A case study\nin the corinthos area (NE Peloponnese, S. Greece). Geografiska Annaler,\nSeries A: Physical Geography, 83 (4), pp. 217-228.\n[43] Giakoumakis, S.G., Tsakiris, G.P. (1997) Meteorological Drought Effect\non Sediment Yield. Water Resources Management, 11 (5), pp. 365-376.\n[44] Giupponi C, and M Shechter (eds.) (2003) Climate Change in the\nMediterranean: Socio-Economic Perspectives of Impacts, Vulnerability\nand Adaptation. Edward Elgar Publications, Glos, UK.\n[45] Gomez, J.A., Amato, M., Celano, G., Koubouris, G.C. (2008) Organic\nolive orchards on sloping land: More than a specialty niche production\nsystem? 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(2001) Red soils of\nThrace (Greece): Properties, development, and productivity.\nCommunications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 32 (5-6), pp. 617-\n632.\n[50] Hagyó, A., Tóth, T., Bloem, E., Van Der Zee, S.E.A.T.M., Horváth, E.\n(2008) Soil-plant interrelations: The significance of soil degradation and\nthe the risk assessment methodology for salinization. Cereal Research\nCommunications.\n[51] Hasiotis, T., Charalampakis, M., Stefatos, A., Papatheodorou, G.,\nFerentinos, G. (2006) Fan delta development and processes offshore a\nseasonal river in a seismically active region, NW Gulf of Corinth. Geo-\nMarine Letters, 26 (4), pp. 199-211.\n[52] Hill, J., Hostert, P., Tsiourlis, G., Kasapidisb, P., Udelhoven, T., Diemer,\nC. (1998) Monitoring 20 years of increased grazing impact on the Greek island of Crete with earth observation satellites. Journal of Arid\nEnvironments, 39 (2), pp. 165-178.\n[53] Hill, J., Megier, J., Mehl, W. (1995) Land degradation, soil erosion and\ndesertification monitoring in Mediterranean ecosystems. Remote\nSensing Reviews, 12 (1-2), pp. 107-130.\n[54] Hill, J. (1993) Monitoring land degradation and soil erosion in\nMediterranean environments. ITC Journal, 1993-4, pp. 323-331.\n[55] Hrissanthou, V., Delimani, P., Xeidakis, G. (2010) Estimate of sediment\ninflow into Vistonis Lake, Greece. International Journal of Sediment\nResearch, 25 (2), pp. 161-174.\n[56] Hrissanthou, V (2005) Estimate of sediment yield in a basin without\nsediment data. Catena, 64 (2-3), pp. 333-347.\n[57] Hrissanthou, V., Mylopoulos, N., Tolikas, D., Mylopoulos, Y. (2003)\nSimulation modeling of runoff, groundwater flow and sediment transport\ninto Kastoria Lake, Greece. Water Resources Management, 17 (3), pp.\n223-242.\n[58] Hrissanthou, V. (2002) Comparative application of two erosion models\nto a basin. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 47 (2), pp. 279-292.\n[59] Hrissanthou, V. (1998) Comparison between two mathematical models\nfor the computation of sediment yield from a basin. AHS-AISH\nPublication, 249, pp. 137-142.\n[60] Ibañez, J., Valderrama, JM, Papanastasis, V., Evangelou, C.,\nPuigdefabregas, J. (2014) A multidisciplinary model for assessing\ndegradation in Mediterranean rangelands. Land Degradation and\nDevelopment, 25 (5), pp. 468-482.\n[61] Kairis, O., Karavitis, C., Salvati, L., Kounalaki, A., Kosmas, K. (2015)\nExploring the Impact of Overgrazing on Soil Erosion and Land\nDegradation in a Dry Mediterranean Agro-Forest Landscape (Crete,\nGreece). Arid Land Research and Management, 29 (3), pp. 360-374.\n[62] Kairis, O., Karavitis, C., Kounalaki, A., Salvati, L., Kosmas, C. (2013)\nThe effect of land management practices on soil erosion and land\ndesertification in an olive grove. Soil Use and Management, 29 (4), pp.\n597-606.\n[63] Kalatha, S., Economou-Eliopoulos, M. (2015) Framboidal pyrite and\nbacterio-morphic goethite at transitional zones between Fe-Ni-laterites\nand limestones: Evidence from Lokris, Greece. Ore Geology Reviews,\n65 (P1), pp. 413-425.\n[64] Karydas, C.G., Sekuloska, T., Silleos, G.N. (2009) Quantification and\nsite-specification of the support practice factor when mapping soil\nerosion risk associated with olive plantations in the Mediterranean island\nof Crete. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 149 (1-4), pp. 19-\n28.\n[65] Kosmas, C., Gerontidis, St., Marathianou, M., Detsisa, B., Zafirioua,\nTh., Nan Muysen, W., Govers, G., Quine, T., Vanoost, K. (2001) The\neffects of tillage displaced soil on soil properties and wheat biomass.\nSoil and Tillage Research, 58 (1-2), pp. 31-44.\n[66] Kosmas, C., Danalatos, NG, Gerontidis, S. (2000) The effect of land\nparameters on vegetation performance and degree of erosion under\nMediterranean conditions. Catena, 40 (1), pp. 3-17.\n[67] Kosmas, C., Gerontidis, S., Marathianou, M. 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Biodiversity levels could be enhanced when regenerating a site by seed-derived seedlings. However, seed dormancy poses limitations for many species. As a result, nurseries either produce seedlings from species where dormancy is not an obstacle, or they propagate through cuttings with the risk of decreasing the genetic diversity within and among species at the regenerated sites. In the present study, breaking of seed dormancy was investigated in valuable Mediterranean species of Prunus avium, Prunus spinosa and Rosa canina Specifically, in order to break dormancy, seeds of those species were warm-, cold-stratified and chemically treated. Based on the results, maximum germination for P. avium was 12% when seeds were warm stratified for four weeks altered with eight weeks of cold stratification. For P. spinosa, maximum percent germination was 26% when seeds were warm stratified for two weeks and continuously altered for eight weeks of cold stratification. Finally, for R. canina maximum percent germination was 40% under four weeks of warm stratification altered with twenty weeks of cold stratification, when seeds were pretreated with H2SO4 for 15 min. A maximum of twelve weeks of cold stratification for P. avium, P. spinosa and 20 weeks for R. canina provided almost zero percent germination. The results indicated that all three species experienced intense dormancy levels suggesting that those species need to be treated properly prior to sowing. Nonetheless, additional experiments are needed to achieve greater germination percentage of highly valuable species in orderto encourage seed derived seedling production.

Long-term urban tree growth is crucial because of the need for tree-derived benefits and high placement costs. This study was conducted in five U.S. midwestern states to examine how tree characteristics are related to community population level and land-use type. Age, height, diameter, and average growth rates for the last decade were measured on 328 trees. When evaluated in terms of community population, trees in rural parks were older than trees in small, medium, and large towns. Adjusted mean growth rate was lower in rural parks than in small, medium, and large towns. When evaluated in terms of land use, both mean age and mean growth rate were higher for trees in city parks than in commercial sites. Trees in residential areas had intermediate age, size, and growth rate characteristics. Of the five species studied, silver maple, honeylocust, and hackberry performed well in a variety of settings.

Droughts on the island of Cyprus are more frequently occurring during the last decades. This has and will have major impacts on natural resources, particularly on semi-aquatic and aquatic ecosystems. Wetlands are very important aquatic ecosystems with many functions and values, especially in semi-arid regions. The study area is the Wetland of the Larnanca Salt Lake that belongs to the Natura 2000 Network and the Ramsar Convention. It hosts thousands of migratory birds every year. Forecasting accurately the future climatic conditions of an area can greatly enhance the ability to provide the best possible managerial practices regarding a natural resource (e.g. wetland). These climate forecasts can provide significant information on future conditions of the Wetland of Larnaca Salt Lake, particularly when forecasting when and how long the drying conditions could last. In this study, an Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) was used as a tool for short term prediction of the precipitation in the study area. The methodology used two time series (temperature and precipitation) in order to train the ANN. Temperatures were used as the input variable to the ANN while precipitation was used as the output variables. The forecast was based on data from the period between 1993 and 2013. In order to estimate the accuracy of the produced results the correlation coefficient, the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) was correlated. Overall, this tool can help the responsible authorities of the wetland to manage it more efficiently.

Several environmental factors influence tree growth at any site. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between biotic and abiotic factors and tree growth rate (mean ring width averaged over the last 10 years) in settings ranging from urban to rural. Six “clusters”, each with five communities and two rural parks, were sampled in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin, for a total sample of 320 trees. Within each community, trees in parks, and along residential and commercial streets were sampled. Five species were sampled: silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.), honeylocust, (Gleditisia triacanthos L.), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis L.), black maple (Acer nigrum Michx F.), and basswood (Tilia americana L.). Factors were investigated for three scenarios: (i) all trees sampled in all clusters, (ii) a single species, all clusters, and (iii) all species, a single cluster. Baseline variables (cluster, place population, site, species, and age) accounted for 49–71% of observed variation in growth rate. Combined biotic factors accounted for 5 to 6% of observed variation. For all species in a single cluster, combined abiotic factors accounted for 11% of observed variation. Biotic factors related to growth rate detected using multivariate analyses included number of other trees within 9 m, presence of disease and insects, and human-induced mechanical injury. Abiotic factors that were related to tree growth included presence of pavement and core bulk density. For trees in rural parks, number of other trees within 20 m, and for trees in both rural and community parks, number of other trees within 9 m of sample trees were associated with decreased growth rate.

A major initiative in Europe is the protection of its biodiversity. To accomplish this, specific areas from all countries of the European Union are protected by the establishment of the "Natura 2000" network. One of the major threats to these areas and in general to ecosystems is soil erosion. The objective of this study was to quantitatively estimate surface soil losses for three of these protected areas that are located on semi-arid islands of the Mediterranean. One Natura 2000 area was selected from each of the following islands: Sicily in Italy, Cyprus and Rhodes in Greece. To estimate soil losses, Gerlach troughs were used. These troughs were established on slopes that ranged from 35-40% in four different vegetation types: i) Quercus ilex and Quercus rotundifolia forests, ii) Pinus brutia forests, iii) "Phrygana" shrublands and iv) vineyards. The shrublands had the highest soil losses (270 kg ha(-1) yr(-1)) that were 5-13 times more than the other three vegetation types. Soil losses in these shrublands should be considered a major concern. However, the other vegetation types also had high soil losses (21-50 kg ha(-1) yr(-1)). Conclusively, in order to enhance and conserve the biodiversity of these Natura 2000 areas protective management measures should be taken into consideration to decrease soil losses.

Reducing erosion in the Mediterranean region is a major priority because of its susceptibility and millennia long human inhabitation. The objective of this paper was to assess soil erosion risk on the semi-arid island of Rhodes, Greece. Rhodes has many protected areas that are part of the Natura 2000 network. To implement this assessment a Geographic Information System based Multi-criteria Decision Analysis was conducted. The Multi-criteria Decision Analysis was a combination of the Analytic Hierarchy Process and the Weighted Linear Combination. The criteria used, in the order of importance, were: I) Land-use, II) Slope, III) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), IV) Geology, V) Distance from Streams, VI) Fire Density, VII) Precipitation, VIII) Soil Quality, IX) Flow Length, X) Distance to Roads XI) Aspect and XII) Wetness. The final erosion risk map for the entire island had ranking values only of 3-6 although the scale ranged from 1-9. This indicates that there are no areas with extreme erosion risk. While less than 1% of the area had an erosion risk of 6, a significant percentage (15.4%) ranked as 5. Land managers should firstly implement best management practices in these areas (ranked as a 5 and 6). When comparing the Natura 2000 areas to the non Natura 2000 areas, the Natura 2000 had a larger percentage (~ 6%) of areas that ranked as 5, while the non Natura 2000 areas had a larger percentage (~ 6%) of areas that ranked as 4. Since the Natura 2000 areas are protected by the European Union, it was expected that they would be less vulnerable to erosion. The percentages of this study indicate that additional measures need to be implemented in these Natura 2000 areas to reduce soil erosion.

Riparian areas are significant ecosystems due to the numerous and substantial services they provide. These ecosystem services can range from wildlife habitat, water quality improvement, flood mitigation and recreational opportunities. Human developments, including cities and towns are frequently established in the riparian areas and degrade their functionality. Maintaining healthy riparian areas in urban settings that sustain their connectivity with the natural riparian areas should be of a great priority. Fragmented riparian areas lose many of the aforementioned ecosystem services. At the same time healthy riparian areas are aesthetically pleasing, creating a feeling of escape for the inhabitants, while also increasing the real estate value of the adjacent structures. In this study examples of healthy and degraded urban riparian areas from two Greek cities are presented. Overall, the proper restoration and sustainable management of these areas can improve the quality of life in urban settings and maintain the services they provide.